Edit the description to add:

What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

“They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” is a song by Pete Rock and CL Smooth, inspired by the death of their close friend Troy Dixon (1967 — 1990) (better known as “Trouble” T. Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz) in 1990. The song was the lead single off their debut album, Mecca and the Soul Brother, released in 1992, and later became a staple of classic early 90s hip hop. The song peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.

Over a saxophone and bass sample of Tom Scott’s cover of “Today” by Jefferson Airplane, CL Smooth unravels fond memories of his own childhood, being the son of a young teenage mother, her father and four siblings, and the love he feels for other family members in working class Mt. Vernon. The chorus' ad libs are provided by Pete Rock. The 12 second intro is sampled from the 1971 song “When She Made Me Promise” by The Beginning of the End.